The Suicide Pact

The ironic geography of the Democratic drive can be seen most clearly by examining the distribution of the classes now targeted by the coming purge. The top 10 states with the largest percentage of “rich” households under the Obama formula include true blue bastions Washington, D.C., which has the highest concentration of big earners, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, California and Hawaii. The only historic “swing state” in the top six is Virginia, due largely to the presence of the affluent suburbs of the capital. These same states, according to the Tax Foundation, would benefit the most from an extension of the much-lambasted Bush tax cuts.

The pattern of distribution of “the rich” is even more marked when we focus on metropolitan areas. Big metro areas supported Obama, particularly their core cities, by margins as high as four to one. Besides New York, the metro areas with the highest percentage of high-earning households include such lockstep blue cities as San Francisco, Washington, San Jose, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Kotkin likens the new “rich” to the kulaks targeted by Stalin. (This is not the first time I have seen that comparison.) The “rich” that will pay are not rich by any reasonable standard given the cost of living in the deep blue states and cities.

Once again, the republicans should immediately pass a bill out of the House making all but the top two bracket tax cuts permanent and repealing the AMT. Right now. Mention Obama’s determination to restore the Clinton tax rates on the “rich”. Then make some popcorn. It’ll be a riot to watch.